Scrubbing brush operated by water power



M. J. DEMO ET AL SCRUBBING BRUSH OPERATED BY WATER POWER Filed Jan.' 2s, 195o i May 1s, 1954 2,678,457

7 A INVENTORS Mx' 1746K LEM@ 20 Patented May 18, 1954 SCRUBBING BRUSH OPERATED BY WATER POWER Max Jack Demo, West Los Angeles, and Cloyd D.

` Smith, Pacific Palisades, Calif.

Application January 23, 1950, Serial No. 140,078

7 Claims.

This invention relates to scrubbing brushes operated by water power, and more particularly to a` hand brush which can be held in the hand of the user and manipulated for washing automobiles and other purposes, and where the water which drives therotatable brush is directed to the brush as the cleaning fluid used therewith.

Among the salient objects of the invention are: To provide a scrubbing brush `of the character referred to in which the handle not only has the water passageway therethrough, but in which, around said water passageway, is a soap container for liquid soap, with means easily operated by the hand or thumb of the user, to admit soap into the stream of water passing through the handle to the brush; to provide in a brush of the character referred to an improved rotor in the top part of the body of the brush, with means for directing the water against said rotor for driving it, with a train of gears therefrom, in a chamber below said rotor chamber, for driving a rotatable scrubbing brush supported in the lower, open bottom of said brush body; to provide means for detachably connecting the scrub brush in operating position to the drive member, whereby it can be easily disconnected for cleaning, repair or to be intel-changed for another brush.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following more detailed description of one practical embodiment thereof, taken with the accompanying sheet of drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a plan view or elevation of a scrubbing brush embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View through the brush body and a part of the handle, to Vshow the interior construction and arrangement;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of the handle, partly in section;

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken on line 4 4, Fig. 2;

' AFigure 5 is a plan view of the" member on top of the brush; r

Figure 6 is a sectional view, on line E--S of Fig. 2;

Figure '7 is a cross sectional View on line 1 -1, Fig. 3; and l Figure 8 is a partial bottom plan View of the rotor.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the body casting is designated Iil, and is cup shape, with a dome-like top, and from one side of which extends a handle casting I I, having a central water passageway, designated I2 and around which, longitudinally cfsaid handle casting is a circular, in cross section, soap chamber I3, seen in the sectional view in Fig. 6. From said soap chamber I3 is a small passageway I ll drilled in the casting I I, through which soap can be passed into the body, again referred to. This is controlled by means of a spring-loaded valve member I5, having a reduced, or neck portion I' with a rubber gasket l'around the extension Il providedV with a push cap or head I8, working in a guide socket, as I9 formed on the side of the casting I I. When said valve member I5 is pressed inwardly, soap from the soap chamber I3 can flow through the small passageway I4 into the body, into which water is discharged, from the water passageway I2, through the angular port 20, seen in light broken lines in Fig. 1, whereby to strike the rotor 2 I, between its angularly positioned vanes 2 i 2 I', as seen in Fig. 8, for driving said rotor. Said rotor has a central shaft 22, having a bearing through an upwardly arched cross member 23, said shaft turning in a bushing 23 and having a small gear 24 on its lower end, as `clearly seen in Fig. 2. Said small gear 2d is in mesh with a larger gear 25, having a combination hub and gear, as at 26, on a pin or short shaft 21, the upper end of which is seated in the arched cross member 23, and its lower end is seated in another straight cross member 28 secured by screws to the body casting, said member 28 having an upturned flange portion 29 whichiits in a channel, at each end, formed on the inner facelof the body casting and designated 30, said flange portions bearing against the upper member 23 and supporting it in place, as will be understood from the sectional View, Fig. 2, and indicated in broken lines, Fig. 4. There is an upturned flange portion 29 at each end of said member 28.

Mounted in said cross member 28 is a bushing 3I, through which a` shaft 32 extends from a gear 33 on top of said cross member 23, as shown, said gear being in mesh with the small gear portion 26, formed as a part of the large gear 25, as seen in Fig. 2. Secured to the lower end of said shaft 32 is a central hub portion 3d, made as a part of a disc or member 35, of wheel-like form, with openings 36 therein, designated in Fig. 4 with the neck extensions as parts of said openings, and well known as an attaching and detaching means.

A round brush body,l designated 3i', with the bristles 38, is shown as having a top plate or disc 39, seen in plan view in Fig. 5, with the large headed pins 4U, secured therethrough and anchored in the body of the brush, as seen at i, Fig. 2, said body being of rubber, or similar material, and the ends of said pins being permamently seated therein. Said pins have an intermediate part, next to the head, designated 32, and adapted. to be turned into the neck portions of said openings 36, as will be understood from the showing in Figs. 2 and 4. In this manner the brush can be attached and detached from the top plate member 35;` The heads of the pins will pass through the large parts of said openings 35, and when turned,the heads ride on top of said plate member 35, as indicated in Fig. 4. Thus by a partial turn of said brush body, the heads of the pins will register with the large parts or said openings 36, and said brush can be pulled straight out, for cleaning, repair or change.

Connected with the tubular extension iI from the body I0 is a cylindricalor tubular handle 3 portion 43, which also forms the extension of the soap chamber, as at YI3', and of the water passageway, as I2', said soap chamber communicating with the small boreV lllfor conveying soap from the soap chamber into the'body, as will be understood from Fig. 2. Said handle portion ll3 is covered with suitable material, as rubber, desM ignated 3', and at its outer end said handleis tapered and provided with arthreaded end L1A, for connecting a water hose 45 thereto, as indicated.

The water passageway inner Ytubular member i2 is provided on its wall with a valve element 4S, having a slit 41 in its end, whereby water from said passageway I2 can be discharged in small amount into the soap chamber i3', as will be understood from Figs. 3 and 7. A screw closure member 38 is shown in place for closing an opening through which soap is supplied to the soap chamber i3', clearly indicatedV in Figs. 1 and 3.

In the side of the handle casting Il, we have n also shown a removable plug 50, also indicated in Fig. 1, to give access into the member Il and to the small discharge Yport into the rotor chamber, and through which said angular port 20 can be drilled, as will be seen from Fig. 1.

Around the body I0 of said machine is a rubber or other soft shield or bumper, shaded to in dicateY that it ismade of rubber, and designated 9 at the lower right hand corner of Fig. 2.

We are aware that changes in the details of construction and arrangement can be made within the scope of the invention, and we do not,Y

Vport into the top of said body, a cup-like rotor in the top of said body, opposite said discharge port, whereby water discharged through said port drives said rotor, an arched supporting member in said body, under said rotor, with'a bearing portion extended up under saidY cuplike rotor, a shaft from the center of said rotor through said bearingportion,V a pinion on the end of said shaft, a secondsupporting member in said body below said first supporting member,

Va large gear mounted on said second supporting Y member land having a shaft therefrom through said second supporting member, a cleaning brush mounted in the open bottomof said body, under said second supporting member, and connected with the shaft from said large gear, a large gear in mesh with the pinion on the rotor shaft, said large gear having a pinion portion in mesh with the large gear mounted on saidsecond supporting member, whereby to drive said brush from said rotor, and a soap chamber formed in said handle, with a valve controlled inlet therefromV to 'the said body, said valve being operable manually at will to admit soap to said body.

2. A claim as set forth in claim l in which the soap chamber is of annular form in cross section around said inflow tube for water in said handle. w Y

3. A claim as set forth in claim 1 in which the inow tube for water is provided with a valve element with an opening therein to permit a small amount of water to be discharged into said soap chamber.

VVform, a handle extended from one side thereof,V

. 4. A water power brush including an inverted cup-like body with a combination handle and water supply tube connected into one side of said body, with a discharge port into said body. an inverted cup-like rotor rotatably supported in the top of said body, opposite said port, to be driven by water discharged through said port, a cleaning brush mounted in the open side of said cup-like body with its bristles extended downwardly therefrom, two supporting members across the inside of said body, one above the other, one supporting said rotor above it and the other supporting said brush below it, a gear train from the rotor to said brush, between said supporting members in said body, and a soap chamber formed in said'handle with a valve controlled small passageway therefrom into said body, said valve being manually operable at will to admit soap to said body, to mix with the water therein. Y

5. A claim as set forth in claim 4, in which the soap chamber is formed around the water supply tube in said handle.

6. A claimas set forth in claim 5, in which said water supply tube, within the soap chamber around the outside thereof, has a small leak valve in its side to permit water from said water supply tube to be discharged in small amount into said soap chamber.

7. A scrubbing brush to be operatedby waterY power and including a body of inverted cup-like around said Water passageway, an arched support across the inside of said body, a rotor mountedover and uponv said arched support and having a power shaft extending therefrom through said arched support, said rotor having vanes around its periphery for driving said rotor, a pinion on the lower end of said power shaft, a second supporting member across the inside of l'said body below said arched support, a gear flatwise upon said second supporting member and having a drive shaft therethrough, an intermediate gear between said arched support l and said second supporting member, at one side of the center of said body, said intermediate gear being in mesh with the pinion on said power shaft, to be driven thereby, said intermediate gear having a combination hub and pinion in mesh with the gear flatwise on said second support for driving the latter gear, a scrubbing brush detachably connected with the lower' end of said drive shaft, in the lower open side Yof Y said body, said handle having an inlet port Vfrom said water passageway to said rotor for driving,V

, the latter, Yand a valve-controlled passageway from said soap chamber into said body for soap to mix with the water therein. Y Y

References cited in the 'me of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

